Hand grenade



HAND GRENADE Filed Dec. 29, '1941 g /6 INVENTOR. 20 a five L.J0m0n/7 Patented Apr. 2, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND GRENADE Eric L. Samann, Detroit, Mich.

Application'December 29, 1941, Serial No. 424,703

18 Claims.

This invention relates to hand grenades and has particular reference to a firing means for igniting the substance with which the body of the grenade is filled.

The principal object of the invention is to develop a firing mechanism for use with handgrenades of the type wherein an ignitable substance is contained within a receptacle formed of some material such that contact of the receptacle with a target will cause the receptacle or a portion thereof to be shattered, thereby permitting a firing of a primary or actuating charge.

In this specification, the specific object is to disclose a satisfactory embodiment of the invention for use with one form of grenade which comes within the scope of the above general object, namely, the liquid incendiary type of grenade where an inflammable liquid is carried within a breakable container. Other objects arising from the foregoing principal and specific obiects are:

(a) To design a firing mechanism which will provide positive means for igniting the inflammable liquid released upon the shattering of the container;

(17) To construct a firing mechanism which may readily be secured to any type of container of the aforementioned class;

() To construct the firing mechanism so that firing action may take place only upon breakage of the liquid container, or a certain portion thereof.

A satisfactory embodiment of the invention, which results in an achievement of the specific object and certain other of the foregoing objects, is disclosed in the following description and in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, together with principles of construction and operation, an appreciation of which will permit an attainment of other objects by mere changes in design over the specific structure set forth.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an assembly view showing an elevation of a bottle or liquid con tainer to which the firing mechanism of this invention has been attached, portions of the firing mechanism being shown in section so as to reveal the details of the construction thereof. Fig. 2 is an end-view of the assembly of Fig. 1 taken from the bottom of the bottle while Fig. 3 is a similar end-view but taken from the nose of the bottle. Fig. 4 is a view of the structure of Fig. 1 but depicting the bottle shattered so as to show the firing action of the firing mechanism.

Any suitable size and form of liquid container may be used with the firing mechanism of this invention such as the bottle I l. The firing mechanism consists of an assembly secured to the bottle by a plurality of metal bands 12, these members being constructed of springy material so that they may readily accommodate themselves to the contour of the bottle. They may be designed with lugs 13, provided with holes (4, through which take-up bolts [5 are placed so that the firing assembly'may be securely clamped to the bottle. Since these bands i2 only act to prevent movement of the firing mechanism away from the face of the bottle, further supporting means are provided in the form of small spacers 22 which are constructed with a channel-shaped body and further equipped with lugs 23 having a curvature corresponding to that of the bottle, and lugs 24 having a curvature corresponding to that of the firing mechanism. These spacers are secured to the firing mechanism.

The main assembly of the firing mechanism is composed of a length of tubing [6, hereafter referred to as the firing pin chamber, and a second length of tubing l1 adapted to be fitted within one end of thefiring pin chamber, this second length of tubing serving as a shell chamber. A flame deflector 31 is attached to the open end of the shell chamber. The opposite end of the firing pin chamber 16 is threaded and fitted with a plug 18. A firing pin I9, having a cylindrical portion 20, is positioned within the firing pin chamber l6 where it is normally urged toward the shell chamber I? by the action of a suitable spring 2! interposed between the end plug 18 and the cylindrical portion 20 of the firing pin. The firing pin is held in a retracted position from the shell chamber by, first, a cotter key 25 which acts only as a safety means, and by a trigger 26 which controls the firing action. This trigger is pivotally mounted upon a pin 36 positioned within the channel-shaped portion of one of the spacers 22 and is formed with a hammer-like end having a projecting portion 21 adapted to contact the liquid container, and a second projecting portion 28 which extends into the firing chamber through a suitable slot 29 provided in the wall thereof. Control over the firing pin is effected along an inclined surface 3!] provided on the second projecting portion 28 of the trigger.

In assembling the firing mechanism, a shell 3! is first placed in the shell chamber I1 where it is held in position by a small metal plate 32 known as a shell retainer which is pressed into the bore of the firing pin chamber Hi, this shell retainer being provided with a beveled edge 33 and also a hole 34 in the center thereof to permit the firing pin to contact the'percussion cap of the shell. The cotter key 25, which, incidentally, is equipped with a pull ring 35 to facilitate its removal, is then inserted across the bore of the firing pin chamber and the firing pin is placed in position. Upon the insertion of the firing pin spring 2|, the chamber is then closed by the end plug l8. The trigger 26 is next attached to the assembly by means of, its pivot pin 36. It can be seen that the hole which accommodates the cotter key 25 is placed so as to define the position of the cylindrical portion 20 of the firing pin relative to the inclined surface 30 which is formed on the projecting portion 28 of the trigger so that these two surfaces will be in contact upon assembly and therefore the firing pin will not exert any sudden pressure upon the trigger when the cotter key is removed.

Assuming that an assembled firing mechanism has been attached to a bottle or other suitable container filled with inflammable liquid as shown in Fig. 1, anyone desiring to use the device as a grenade merely seizes the pull ring 35 so as to remove the cotter key 25 from the firing pin chamber and then throws the bottle at the target. During this time, the firing pin is held 'away from the explosive shell by the engagement between the cylindrical portion of the firing pin and the inclined surface 30 of the trigger. striking the target, the bottle will, of course, break as shown in Fig. 4. When the bottle breaks,'the restraining pressure it exerts upon the projecting portion 21 of the trigger will be removed and thereupon the firing pin, which is normally urged toward the shell chamber by the action of the firing pin spring 2!, will immediately travel in this direction and fire the shell. During this travel, contact between the cylindrical portion 20 of the firing pin and the inclined surface 30 of the trigger will force the trigger from the firing pill chamber. The flame accompanying the explosion of the shell is directed by the deflector 31 toward the inflammable liquid released by the breakage of the bottle, igniting it.

The firing mechanism of this invention may be manufactured very cheaply and with few expenditures for specialized equipment, including dies. Both the shell chamber and the firing pin chamber may be made from standard size tubin while the remaining parts are simple forgings or stampings. If certain sizes of liquid containers are standardized for use with this firing mechanism, its construction may be further simplified by making the metal bands l2 of a fixed effective length and relyin upon their inherent resiliency alone to provide a sufiicient clamping of thefiring mechanism to the liquid container. Such construction would then eliminate the necessity of providing the take-up bolts l and the bands 12 would be secured directly to the outer surface of the firing pin chamber as by welding.

It is to be recognized that this invention is capable of being used with any form of grenade as long as such grenade is constructed so that the external portion 21 of the trigger of the firing mechanism rests against a surface which will yield or be shattered upon impact of the grenade with its target thereby allowing a firing of the actuating charge. In this manner, the principles and essentials of this invention, as defined in the following claims, may be applied to forms of grenades other than the liquid incendiary type specifically disclosed herein.

I claim:

Upon

1. A firing mechanism comprising a shell chamber, an explosive shell positioned within said shell chamber, a firing pin mounted adjacent said shell, means normally urging said firin pin toward said shell, a trigger interposed between said shell and said firing pin, means for detachably securin said firing mechanism to a breakable container adapted to be filled with an ignitable substance with said trigger in contact with said container and firing pin whereby movement of said'firing pin is restrained until said container is broken.

2. A grenade having a breakable container adapted to be filled with an ignitable substance and a firing mechanism positioned externally of said container, said firing mechanism having a pin toward said shell and means for automatically releasing said firing pin to cause it to fire said shell upon a shattering of said container, comprising a trigger interposed'between said firing pin and said 'shell and between said firing pin and said container. 7 T

3. A grenade having a breakable container adapted to be filled with an ignitable substance and a firing mechanism positioned externally of said container, said firing mechanism having a shell chamber, an explosive shell mounted in said shell chamber, a firing pin mounted adjacent said shell chamber, means normally urging said firing in toward said shell and means for automatically releasing said firing pin to cause it to fire said shell upon a shattering of said container, comprising a trigger engaging said firing pin and said container.

4. A firing mechanism and means for securing it to afrangible container adapted to contain an ignitible substance, said firing mechanism comprising a shell chamber, an explosive shell mounted therein, a firing pin mounted adjacent said shell, spring means for normally urging said firing pin towards said shell, means for holding said firing pin spaced from said shell under the compression of said spring, comprising a readily detachable safety pin and a trigger having a tapered portion for engagement with said firing pin and a second portion for engaging said container to hold the tapered portion of said trigger in contact with said firing pin and prevent movement thereof as lon as the main body portion of said container with which said trigger contacts is intact and when said main body portion of said container is broken releasing said trigger and firing pin thereby to permit said spring means to propel said firing pin forcibly againstsaid shell to detonate the same when said safety means has been removed.

5. A firing mechanism comprising a shell chamber, an explosive shell mounted therein, a firing pin for engaging and detonating aidv shell, spring means for normally urging said firing pin towards said shell, a readily detachable safety device for holding said firing pin spaced from said shell against the compression of said spring means, clamping means for detachably securing said firing mechanism to a frangible container and restraining means carried by said clamping means for engaging said firing pin and the main body portion of said container and preventing movement of said firingv pin when said firing mechanism is attached to said container and as long as said body portion of said container is intact, the breaking of said portion said container releasing said restraining means and permitting said spring means to propel said firing means against said shell when said readily detachable safety device has been removed.

6. A firing mechanism comprising a spring loaded firingpin, means for retaining a cartridge shell adjacent thereto, clamping means for detachably securing said firing mechanism to a frangible container, a safety device for engaging said firing pin and holding it under spring load and spaced from said cartridge shell, restraining means carried by said clamping means having a portion for engagement with said firing pin and another portion for engaging, a portion of said container to hold said firing pin in retracted spring loadedposition when said portion of said container is intact and releasing said restraining means automatically when said portion of said container is broken thereby to permit said firing pin to detonate said shell when said safety device has been moved out of engagement with said firing pin.

"7. A firing mechanism comprising a shell chamber, an explosive cartridge shell mounted therein, a firing pin for detonating said shell, resilient means for urging said pin towards said shell, a clamping holder for securing aid firing mechanism to a frangible container, a freely pivotally mounted trigger interposed between and simultaneously engaging a portion of saidcontainer and said firing pin to hold the latter in cocked position against said resilient means as long as said portion of container is intact and freely movable out of the path of said firing pin when said container is shattered.

8. A firing mechanism comprising a shell chamber, an explosiv cartridge shell mounted therein, a firing pin for detonating said shell, resilient means for urging said pin towards said shell, a clamping holder for securing said firing mechanism to a frangible container, freely movable restraining means carried by said holder and normally held against said firing pin by the pressure of said holder on said container to retain said firing pin in cocked position as long as said container is intact but when said pressure is released by shattering of said container being freely movable out of engagement with said firing pin to release the same.

9. A device of the character described comprising a self-contained unitary firing mechanism adapted to be secured to a frangible container having an ingitable substance therein and comprising a percussion shell and a spring loaded firing pin therefor; and a resilient clamping device for manually securing said firing mechanism to said container in the field, said device being provided with means to engage and hold said firing pin. in spring loaded position when said firing mechanism is clamped to said container as long as said container is intact and automati cally releasing said firing pin upon shattering of said container.

10. A unitary firing mechanism adapted to be manually attached to a frangible container com prising a shell casing and a firing pin chamber, a percussion cartridge shell mounted in said casing, a firing pin and resilient means to normally urge the same towards said shell mounted in said chamber, readily removable safety means assembled with said mechanism in the initial as sembly thereof. to hold said firing pin in cocked position, resilient clamping means for manually securing said firing mechanism to said franmechanism positioned externally of said container, said firing mechanism having a shell chamber, and an-explosiveshell mounted insaid chambena'firingpin chamber secured to said shell chamber, a firing pin slidably mounted within saidfiring pin-chamber, means normally urging said firing pin toward said shell, a trigger pivotally mounted adjacent said'firing pin chamber, and-means for securing said firing mechanismto'said'container with said trigger in contacting engagementwith said firing pin and said container to-prevent movement of said trigger and'firing action of said firing pin until said container is shattered.

12. An incendiary hand grenade comprising a frangible container filled with an inflammable substance and a firing mechanism positionedexternally of said container, said firing mechanism having a shell chamber, an explosive shell mounted in said chamber, a firing pin chamber secured to said shell chamber, a firing pin positioned within said firing pin chamber, means normally urging said firing pin toward said shell, a trigger pivotally mounted adjacent said firing pin chamber, and means for securing said firing mecha nism to said container with said trigger in contacting engagement with said firing pin and said container to prevent movement of said trigger and firing action of said firing pin until said container is shattered, and readily detachable safety means engaging said firing pin to prevent movement and firing action of said firing pin until said safety means has been removed from engagement with said pin.

13. A firing mechanism adapted to be used in combination with a frangible container filled with an ignitable substance, said mechanism comprising a casing, an explosive shell and a firing pin mounted within said casing for impact against said shell, means for normally urging said firing pin toward said shell, a trigger for engaging said firing pin and holding it in cocked position, and means for securing said firing mechanism to said container with said trigger in contacting engagement with said container and said firing pin to prevent movement of said trigger and firing pin until said container is shattered.

14. A firing mechanism to be used in combination with a frangible container filled with an ignitable substance, said firing mechanism comprising a casing, an explosive shell, a firing pin mounted within said casing, a trigger for engaging said firing pin and for normally holding it in cocked position in spaced relationship to said shell, means to cause said firing pin to impinge said shell when'said trigger is released, and means for securing said firing mechanism to said container with said trigger in contacting engagement with said container and said firing pin comprising resilient metal bands secured to said firing mechanism and encircling said container with a resilient clamping pressure.

15. A firing mechanism adapted to be used in combination with a frangible container filled with an ignitable substance, said firing mechanism comprising a casing, an explosive shell contained within said casing, firing means to explode said shell, control means for engaging said firing means to hold it in cocked position, and means for clamping said firing mechanism with a resilient clamping pressure to said container, and to hold said control means With a similar pressure in engagement with said firing means as long as the main body portion of said container is intact, and when said container is shattered to release said control means and said firing means, whereby-said firing pin will impinge said shell and explode same. i 7

16. A firing mechanism for igniting combustible material carried in. a container comprising a manually operable clamping member :for securing said firing mechanism against said container, a trigger pin supported on said holding member. and projecting into said firing mechanism in such position as to hold said firing mechanism from actuation until said firing mechanism is released by breakage of said container and said firing mechanism falls from contact with said trigger 17. A firing mechanism adaptedto be used in combination with a frangible container shatterable on impact and filled with an ignitible substance comprising, a firing pin, a spring urging said firing pinior actuation, a holding member surrounding said container and firing mechanism and supporting said firing mechanism between said holder and said container and a'trigger pin of tapered curved shape carried by said holder and contacting said firing pin to hold it in cocked position when said container is intact and whereby when said container is shattered and said firing mechanism is no longer held against said container, then said spring urging said firing pin will produce a component of force on said trigger pin in a direction to push said trigger pin away from said firing mechanism thereby releasing said firing pin'for actuation of said firing mechanisin and igniting said ignitible substance spilled from said container.

18. A device of the character described comprising a self-contained unitary firing mechanism adapted to be secured to a frangible container containing an ignitible substance and comprising a percussion shell and a springloaded firing pin therefor; and an adjustable resilient clamping device for manually securing said firing mechanism to said container in the field, said device being provided with means to engage and hold said firing pin in spring loaded position when said firing mechanism is clamped to said container and'as long as said container is intact and automatically releasing said firing pin upon shattering of said container.

ERIC L. SAMANNQ 

